random and sometimes coherent

The ONE thing to GUARANTEE your SUCCESS

That is quite a headline! One that will draw traffic and get attention for sure. Why? Because we all want to succeed and we would like to do so in as few steps as possible!

Before we can get to the ONE thing, there are a couple of things we have to get out of the way for clarity purposes.

The first is the definition of success. It really is different for everyone.

If you are trying to live up to a generic definition of success as more money, more fame, more accolades, more attention, more stuff, more more, then success isn’t really what you are striving after. These things are gains. They are built on pride, ego, materialism, and greed. With motivations such as those, success can never be achieved, because there is never enough. If all we are after is selfish gain, even if all is gotten, in the end, there is only emptiness.

Success is a clearly defined destination based on the chosen path of the individual. Success as a teacher is different than success as a realtor and so on. We must each define success according to our context, goals, abilities, potential, and personality.

Without a definition for success we will always be chasing a nebulous ideal that doesn’t exist. So before you can worry about the ONE thing or ten things that are keys to success, you must define what success is for you. It is as individual and unique as you are.

The second is an issue of timing. We cannot be in a hurry for success. There are very few “overnight” successes. Most of the few there are, really aren’t. Success is backed up by hard work and often years of getting there. The vast majority of which was never seen or recognized by others. This is why it seems someone became an “overnight” success.

With our definition of success in place, we have to put a time table only to our actions. Results are things we have little actual control over if others are involved in even a small way. So we set up deadlines and future points based on the decisions we make and the things we can control which is usually limited only to ourselves.

Which brings us to the headline of this post…

The ONE thing to GUARANTEE your SUCCESS…

The right path.

Disappointed? Expected something more profound maybe?

My apologies. But the truth is: it is that simple. If you want to get someplace, you have to know where you are going and then you need to map out the correct route to get you there. That is not just true for family vacation. It is true for life, for business, for family, for career, for spiritual matters, everything is dependent on the path you are taking.

All paths lead somewhere. The question is then: Is your path taking you where you want to go?

If you don’t know, then I can tell you it isn’t. We don’t get on the right path accidentally. It takes intention, planning, and preparation. It is something we seek out and work toward.

The right path is not universal. Just like the definition, the destination of success is unique, so is the path to it. Who you are, where you are, what you do, your available resources, those around you all factor into the path needed for success. The path to success for an Olympic athlete is vastly different than for a computer engineer.

Of course, there are principles and qualities that translate across the board: hard work, tenacity, integrity, etc. These don’t guarantee success without the right path. That path must lead to the destination and it must be true to who you are.